Billy Mitchell
I’m Still Fine
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, April 17, 2024
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Photo: Tim Schulties
Billy Mitchell described his show I’m Still Fine as “outré cabaret.” It’s an intriguing term for this autobiographical evening that didn’t hesitate to go to some very dark places. He has a folkish balladeer voice that is more seductive than it is accurate; his set list contained more pop songs than Broadway standards, and his on-stage personality shifted between charm and bitter humor. His campy opening with “Call Me Maybe” (Carly Rae Jepson/Tavish Crowe) allowed him to romp through the audience and flirt indiscriminately with men and women. He quickly established his need to escape his boyhood home with “Gotta Move” (Peter Matz). This, like many of the songs in the show, was well chosen to illustrate his experiences and moods.
“Never Dreamed You’d Leave Me in Summer” (Stevie Wonder) served as a moving tribute to his mother and her passing. He continued in a very dark mood with two highly dramatic numbers, “Chandelier” (Sia) and “Everybody Hurts” (R.E.M.). Happily, things took an upswing in the show and in his life with “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn), followed by a loopy version of “My Favorite Things” (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II) that highlighted his years in high school. Tentative, failed romances were exposed via the warmly sung “You Belong with Me” (Taylor Swift).
Throughout the program he received fine support from Tracy Stark as piano accompanist and music arranger and on backup vocals. She strongly filled in on Mitchell’s vocals to make them far more satisfying. Presumably she also created the highly effective medley of “I Drove All Night” (Tom Kelly/Billy Steinberg) and “Creep” (Radiohead), the first of several numbers about passion that can verge on the psychotic. “Screw Loose” (Adam Schlesinger/David Javerbaum) and “Before He Cheats” (Carrie Underwood) continued this deep dive into obsessions. To balance this, he brought his long-term partner on stage for a lovely duet on “Almost Paradise” (Mike Reno). This back and forth between lightness and darkness served as the major theme of this highly personal show.
